1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hair cosmetic composition, and more particularly, to a hair cosmetic composition comprising a fatty acid with a branched chain. The hair cosmetic composition provides an excellent feeling to the hair and exhibits a superior effect of preventing damages to the hair.
2. Description of the Background Art
Recently, long hairs are in fashion among a number of people. A variety of long hair styles require sophisticated hair treatment techniques, including partial permanent wave treatments. These hair dressing treatments, however, very frequently involve damage to the hairs, producing splits or fractured hairs.
Such damage to hair is considered to be caused by the denaturing of keratinous proteins due to treatment of hair by chemicals, such as permanent wave treatments, making the hair fragile and more susceptible to damage by physical forces, e.g., drying, blushing, etc.
In order to prevent hair from being damaged by chemical treatments which may cause the denaturing of protein structures and, further, in order to promote formation of protective films on the hair surfaces or to improve its moisturizing property or flexibility, a variety of compounds such as collagens, keratinous proteins, and the like have been used in hair-care products. Various oil components such as higher alcohols, esters, liquid paraffins, and silicone oils are also incorporated in hair rinse compositions, hair treatment compositions, hair blushing compositions, and the like in order to decrease the friction forces between hair surfaces.
Although some effects can be expected of proteins, such as collagens and keratins, on the prevention of damage to hair due to chemical treatments, such effects are not necessarily sufficient. Oil components can exhibit some degree of effects on the prevention of damage to hair by lowering frictions between the hair surfaces and by temporarily providing an improved feeling during use. Such effects, however, do not last long on already damaged hair, giving only insufficient treatment effects. In addition, incorporation of a large amount of oil components results in sticky, oily feelings upon use.
Therefore, development of a hair cosmetic composition providing an excellent conditioning effects without sticky, oily feelings, but giving a moist sensation and acting on the damaged hairs so as to restore and keep the inherent functions of the hairs has been desired.
In view of this situation, the present inventors have undertaken extensive studies and have found that a hair cosmetic composition to which a fatty acid with a specific type of branched chain or its derivative is incorporated, when applied to hairs which had been chemically treated, e.g., perm treated hairs, surprisingly gave the hairs excellent moist, soft, smooth, and glossy conditioning effects which continued to persist after repeated shampooings.